Plano, Texas Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Violations

PLANO, TX—A 53-year-old Plano, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

Michael Piazza pleaded guilty on Mar. 30, 2011, to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Richard Schell.

According to information presented in court, Piazza was being investigated for using a peer-to-peer software program and a computer to possess images of child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Plano Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Griffith.